This post was created as part of a relationship in which I was sponsored by Weight Watchers and given a free three month subscription to try their new Personal Coaching product and write about my experience. Though I was compensated for my time and commitment, all views, positive and negative, are my own. #WeightWatchers #WWsponsored
During the Big Game this past weekend, Weight Watchers debuted a brand new commercial, called “All You Can Eat,” which really struck a cord with me.
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Food is not just the stuff we put into our bodies to survive and grow. Food is linked with emotions, memories, and the culture in which we live. We eat to celebrate (how many of us gorged on Game Day party foods this weekend?); we eat to pass the time. We eat when we’re together. We eat when we’re lonely. It’s an unfortunate fact that popular culture can shape an unhealthy relationship with food.
“There’s often a big disconnect between how we want to eat and how we actually eat, and the environment that surrounds us often sabotages that. In this spot, we’re showing why it’s hard and why we need help. We’re also committing to helping people navigate this world of food. To make our value even more compelling, we are also excited to launch our new ‘lose ten pounds on us’ offer.” – Maurice Herrera, SVP Marketing, Weight Watchers International
I know that I got to my heaviest weight because of the unhealthy relationship with food that I developed over years of bad habits (this past December I was at my highest weight ever…even heavier than pregnancy weight!). I found myself planning my errands for the lunch hour just so I could grab some fast food for lunch. I snacked on things that had zero value during the day because I got fidgety sitting at my desk all day.
I hated the way I felt – I had less energy, I didn’t fit well in my clothes, etc – and I was starting to avoid my reflection, too. Honestly, when I was at my heaviest, I didn’t even have a working scale. It had next to nothing to do with a NUMBER…but it had everything to do with how horrible my body was feeling.
And you know what made me feel better? Candy and fast food and snacking all day long. So I’d eat and eat, and feel bigger and have less energy and get depressed….and then I’d eat a little more.
See how stuck I was?
10 Tips To Take Control of Your Food – Instead of Letting Your Food Control You!
Since I’ve been doing Weight Watchers (I started right at the end of December), I have learned so many things that have helped ME be the one in control. Weight Watchers is not a “magic pill” that makes you lose weight. It’s real food…and a COMMITMENT to make changes. But you’re not in it alone. I have been able to have enormous success (in other words, the pounds are falling off!!) because I have all the support and resources I need to be empowered. And I really do feel empowered (and energetic and smaller and happier and more in control).
This is me this weekend with my brand new nephew. I am noticing the difference in my face a ton! It’s working!
Here are a few of the things I’ve learned in the 5-6 weeks:
- Track what you eat. Regardless of what tracking system you use (I’m absolutely in love with the Weight Watchers online etools and app), track everything that goes into your body. I have found that the simple exercise of recording the foods that I eat is often enough of a guilt-trip to stop me from reaching for a bad-for-me snack.
- Don’t beat yourself up. There are days when all I can think about is having ice cream or a big piece of chocolate. One of the things that my Personal Coach taught me during our very first coaching session was that I am trying to break 40-year-old habits. Habits that old aren’t going to be broken overnight. There will be tough times and plenty of temptations, but as long as you try to keep moving forward (and don’t give up because of a stumble) then you are succeeding.
- Reward yourself sometimes. Just not all the time. It’s ok to meet a friend at a restaurant and indulge in a burger and fries…or eat the whole chocolate bar. It just wouldn’t be ok if you did it every day. I found that I am starting to appreciate the little indulgences more than ever…because they are rare now instead of an everyday crutch.
- Eat your favorite foods – in moderation. When I serve myself dinner, I start with a smaller portion. And you know what? Most of the time, the smaller portion is plenty for me. I love using the Weight Watchers app to look up the PointsPlus value of certain foods before I eat. If I really want to eat it, I can determine an “acceptable” serving size. I get to eat that thing that I’m craving without sacrificing my waist line.
- Have healthy food options available (and stop buying the bad stuff). When I have good options available, I am so much more likely to reach for those. I have found several new recipes or foods that satisfy my cravings just as well as the “old” things, like my 1-PointsPlus Chocolate Pumpkin Mini Muffins. Check out all of my Weight Watchers recipes here.
- Little changes make a big difference. I am cooking the same foods that I always have for my family, but now I will often opt to eat my meat on top of a bed of fresh spinach instead of on top of a big pile of rice. (Note: I have nothing against rice. Rice is delicious and healthy….but it’s one of those things that is not really helpful in trying to lose weight).
- Have water with you all the time. Water can often satisfy the feeling of needing to eat something, especially when you’re between meals and don’t really need to eat. Plus…water is just awesome and it has about a thousand health benefits.
- Find healthier recipes that can replace some of your favorite unhealthy recipes. Simple ingredient swaps sometimes make all the difference in an old favorite recipe. Check around to see what substitutes you can find (Google is great for that!). Or search for brand new recipes that you can add into your recipe rotation. I’ve been collecting a ton of amazing recipes on round-up posts or on my Weight Watchers Pinterest board.
- Recruit a cheerleader or two. I’ve enlisted the support of a few “cheerleaders” – people who I can message or call up when I have had a weight loss success or when I have a question. One of those people is my Weight Watchers personal coach, who I can both chat with on the phone and message her with questions. But I also have a few friends who are also trying to lose weight. We rely on each other to get through the tough parts of losing weight.
- When you think you feel hungry, get up and move and have a drink of water. Most of the time, when I would grab a snack in the middle of the work day, I found that I wasn’t actually hungry. I was bored or simply tired of sitting still. One of the things that I’ve realized about myself is that I need to add variety to my work day, and for me that means getting up out of my chair every once in a while. Now, though, I don’t head straight for the kitchen. I just got up and down the stairs, maybe throw some clothes in the dryer, and take a big drink of water. I wasn’t hungry at all!
Yes, I ate a few pieces of my son’s birthday cake this weekend. And it was delicious! But I made sure not to over-indulge.
Weight Watchers helps you get through the hard part – “All You Can Eat,” the new commercial that debuted during the Big Game, is part of the larger “Help with the Hard Part” campaign that Weight Watchers launched this winter to bring to life how Weight Watchers can help with the hard part of losing weight. Weight Watchers now provides more customized choices via its newest offerings, Weight Watchers OnlinePlus and Personal Coaching – with live help from a Coach who been there and lost the weight – available 24/7.
Lose 10 Pounds FREE
Weight Watchers just launched an incredible offer: “Lose 10 lbs. On Us” to show their commitment to helping America to take back control. Not only have they waived the usual sign-up fee, but they will refund two months of membership fees for new members who lose at least ten pounds in the first two months of membership. This offer is available to new members only (ie, not people like me who are currently on Weight Watchers) and you must sign by February 14 to receive the offer.
Note: This offer is valid on any Weight Watchers product so people can choose how they want to follow the plan. Options are Online with 24/7 Chat, Meetings, or Personal Coaching.
Details: Buy a subscription plan between 2/1/15 and 2/14/15, lose at least 10 lbs within your first 2 months and get a refund of 2 months’ worth of applicable fees paid. Offer available to new members only. For Meetings: Offer not available in AZ, ME, and other non-participating franchise areas. Joining fee with waived with purchase of select plans. Visit Weight Watchers for full details and to sign up.
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Good luck! I spent years not believing I could lose weight, but it’s actually working now. :)
I love this post! I am trying my best to lose some extra baby weight that I never shed from my last little babe and this is totally what I needed this morning.